Foreword: Moral Panics--36 Years On

The ill effects of “opium for the spirit”: a critical cultural analysis of China's Internet addiction moral panic

“…The original models of moral panic have been reassessed for falling into the trap of theorizing a "monolithic" moral culture (Ben-Yehuda, 2009). In assessing the state of moral panic literature over three decades since its creation, Ben-Yehuda summarized a call from scholars to "re-think possibilities for the generalizability of moral panics in societies that have become fragmented and multicultural" (p. 2).…”

“…(p. 60) In their "preliminary description" of media reports, chatrooms and public interviews regarding Internet suicide and video game addiction, Golub and Lingley engaged theoretically with the field of medical anthropology, specifically Kleinman's (1999) discussion of experience and its moral modes. Yet much stands to be gained from reconsidering this phenomenon through the lens of moral panic literature, for, as noted by Ben-Yehuda (2009), "the question of how people react to cultural and economic change is one that lies at the heart of moral panic theory" (p. 3).…”

Missing the moral: Excited delirium as a negative case study of a moral panic

“…However, Excited Delirium is an illustration of how the media can be equally important in preventing moral panics. While many scholars (Ben-Yahuda, 2008;McRobbie and Thorton, 1995;Thompson, 1998) have argued today's media landscape makes moral panics more likely, recent scholarship (David et al, 2011;Garland, 2008;Heir, 2002) has challenged this assumption, arguing the media is far from monolithic in opinion and the ''increasing democratization of knowledge . .…”

Neo-Nazis and moral panic: The emergence of neo-Nazi youth gangs in Israel

“…Additionally, in multicultural societies where morality is constantly contested and negotiated, there might be a reduction in the number of moral panics, or the moral panic might be on a smaller scale. Moral panic can be launched by a variety of moral entrepreneurs, who may advocate for the moral perceptions of different cultural groups (Ben-Yehuda, 2009). Recent studies have found that a diverse range of social reactions and heterogeneous media outlets are involved in the construction and contestation of moral panic.…”

“…Indeed, youth deviance seems to be one of the major foci of moral panics (Ben-Yehuda, 2009;Burns & Crawford, 1999;Cohen, 1972;Cromer, 2004).…”